The event was attended by Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Tran Phuoc Anh and over 150 delegates, including senior leaders from banks, investment funds, logistics firms, seaports, industrial zones, tourism, and service industries.

The forum focused on highlighting the potential and investment opportunities in Da Nang’s key projects, including the International Financial Center, the Free Trade Zone, and Lien Chieu International Seaport. It also served as a platform to gather feedback and recommendations from investors and businesses to ensure the successful implementation of these projects in the future.

Speaking at the forum, Secretary of the Da Nang municipal Party Committee Nguyen Van Quang emphasized Da Nang’s strategic geographic location, modern urban infrastructure, and high-quality young workforce.

He described the city as the most livable in Vietnam and one of Southeast Asia’s top tourist destinations. By 2030, with a vision toward 2045, Da Nang aims to become a green, smart city and a national and regional hub for science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation.

New development models, such as the International Financial Center, the Free Trade Zone, and Lien Chieu Seaport, are expected to drive economic growth, creating new development spaces that will position Da Nang as a major international trade, service, and technology center.

These initiatives are also expected to have a broader impact as a contributing to the socio-economic development of the Central Highlands and Vietnam as a whole while strengthening connections along the East-West Economic Corridor and the broader Asia-Pacific region.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Tran Phuoc Anh praised Da Nang’s proactive approach in organizing the investment forum, seeing it as a testament to the growing partnership between Vietnam and Singapore across multiple areas. He also reaffirmed his commitment to supporting Da Nang in connecting with Singaporean businesses and investors.

During the discussion, Dr. Chua Hak Bin, a macroeconomic research expert at Maybank, and Secretary Nguyen Van Quang engaged in in-depth exchanges with businesses and investors on the development model for Da Nang’s Regional Financial Center.

The discussion highlighted key advantages, priority sectors, capital control and exchange rate policies, dispute resolution mechanisms, and tax incentives.

The Da Nang Regional Financial Center will focus on international finance, including trade finance and green finance, alongside innovation in fintech and commodity exchanges for agricultural products, minerals, and metals. It will also provide investment support services, business development, and utilities.

Regarding capital flow liberalization, Vietnam's current policy is to apply an open financial model for international financial centers. Da Nang is working closely with central ministries and agencies to develop an appropriate legal framework to facilitate business and investment activities at the International Financial Center. The city is also prioritizing the development of a high-quality workforce, particularly by attracting and utilizing expertise from overseas Vietnamese professionals.

As the first locality in Vietnam authorized to pilot a Free Trade Zone, Da Nang enjoys a strategic geographical advantage, positioned between the northern and southern economic hubs of the country. The city also has direct connectivity to the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) and Lien Chieu Seaport, further integrating with the Financial Center to enhance global trade participation. The operational model of Da Nang’s Free Trade Zone will be multifunctional, with a strong emphasis on high technology and innovation.

The Da Nang Investment Forum 2025 in Singapore has opened up new cooperation opportunities between Singaporean businesses, investors, and the city. It also provides Da Nang with valuable insights to refine its development strategy and policy framework for key projects.

Free trade zone set to help Da Nang make breakthroughs in new era

VOV.VN - With 2024 being the year for the central city of Da Nang to build specific mechanisms to remove institutional bottlenecks, the establishment of a free trade zone and a regional financial center is expected to help the city make breakthroughs in the new era.